Morpeth Town were made to pay for missed chances as they exited the Newcastle Flooring Senior Cup at the quarter final stage.

Losing 2-1 at home to Blyth Town, the hosts conceded twice in 60 seconds as Lucas Cooper and Adam Johnson struck. Danny Barlow reduced the deficit with a minute to go, but it wouldn’t be enough.

Liam Noble was rested, with Josh Robson also benched to give academy graduate Matt Boyd some valuable minutes on the pitch as Morpeth tweaked the starting XI to cope with a hectic December.

New signing Nic Bollado was also included in the squad for the first time since moving from Stockport County.

The Highwaymen saw plenty of the ball but only had an Andrew Johnson shot straight at the keeper on five minutes and a looping Barlow header that was gathered comfortably on 10 minutes to show for their dominance.

Blyth, top of Northern League Division Two, were showing glimpses of threat on the counter attack and possibly should have been ahead on 12 minutes when Lee Waugh nodded over the top.

Sam Hodgson, already heavily among the goals this season, produced a fine run, slicing through the visiting defence but his final shot was cleared by the legs of keeper Kieran Hunter, who was already on his way to producing a man of the match display.

Jack Foalle arched a shot wide of the post on 26 minutes, before Cooper opened the scoring on 37 minutes when capitalising on a slip in the Morpeth defence to drive through the heart of the defence and cooly slot past host keeper Dan Lowson.

Morpeth were still reeling when they conceded a second, Johnson cutting inside Boyd to drill across Lowson and into the far corner to put Blyth well clear by half-time.

The home side came out with a bit of renewed vigour and tempo, but Chris Reid could only lift a Will Jenkins ball into the box over the top on 53 minutes.

Johnson had a free-kick pushed clear five minutes later before the Highwaymen struck the bar and post within seconds of each other on the hour-mark. Hodgson bent an effort goalwards but found the frame of the goal with the rebound falling to Ryan Wombwell. However, the defender’s lashed strike thumped the post.

With time ticking down and Morpeth banging on the door, Hodgson’s effort was cleared off the line on 79 minutes with Barlow seeing his strike from distance tipped on to the post seconds later.

The latter would reduce the deficit on 89 minutes, sending a dipping strike in off the underside of the bar, but despite a late surge there’d be no equaliser and Morpeth exited the competition.

They are next in action when travelling to Workington on Saturday before a home clash with Marine on Tuesday evening.

MORPETH TOWN: Lowson, Boyd (Bollado 58’), Reid, Jenkins, Henderson (c) (Turner 45’), Wombwell, Foalle (Steels 58’ (Robson 80’)), Donaldson, Hodgson, Barlow, Johnson.

SUBS: Griggs.

BLYTH TOWN: Hunter, Beesley, Fogarty, Gibson, Dale, Fell, Cooper, Aziakonou, Wilson, Waugh, Johnson.

SUBS: Walker, Hayes, Sawyer, Coburn, Short.

ATT: 242